Devin Lloyd is the new leader of the Carolina Panthers' defense.
Devin Lloyd will wear a green dot sticker on his Carolina Panthers helmet, an indicator of the headset inside.
The Panthers signed Lloyd to a three-year, $41.9 million deal in free agency this offseason and the Pro Bowler is excited to have the green dot on his helmet.
"I always practiced wearing the green dot in Jacksonville," Lloyd told ESPN. "I played with the green dot in a couple of games -- shoot, I love it. ... That was a nonnegotiable in free agency."
Lloyd, 27, earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in his final season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Utah product had five interceptions, 1.5 sacks, 35 solo tackles, six tackles for loss and 10 QB hits last season.
The Panthers are hoping that Lloyd's presence, along with the addition of outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, can improve last year's 16th-ranked defense. Phillips signed with Carolina in free agency after playing for the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles last season.
"I'm grateful to be in the situation I'm in right now," Lloyd said. "Ultimately, what I do against them and what I do against other opponents, that'll all speak for itself."
Lloyd enters this season with nine interceptions, 3.5 sacks, 230 solo tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 18 QB hits in his career.
"He's got a real great urgency and focus about him," Panthers coach Dave Canales said.
Even though the Panthers won the NFC South title last season, they finished with a sub-.500 record and needed help in Week 18 to win the division. It will be fascinating to see how Carolina does in 2026. The team will no longer fly under the radar after making the playoffs last season.
The Panthers have a difficult 2026 schedule. They face the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
